Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2025 to Question 44962 on Government Departments: Cost Effectiveness, whether the 2025-26 baseline for the 15% saving in administration budgets includes departmental efficiency savings announced in July 2024.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The savings and efficiencies announced in July 2024 helped to address spending pressures identified through the public spending audit. These included a 2% savings against government administration budgets.
In the Spring Statement, the Chancellor announced that all departments would be expected to make a 15% reduction in their administration budgets by 2029-30. This used 2025-26 budgets as published at Autumn Budget 24 as the baseline, which included in-year changes, for example employers’ National Insurance Contributions.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 2 May 2025 to Question 47820 on Office for Value for Money: Aviation, if she will make it her policy to instruct the Office for Value for Money to undertake an assessment into the value for money of Ministers’ use of non-scheduled flights.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
At the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor tasked the Office for Value for Money with supporting Value for Money (VfM) decisions as part of the spending review, including supporting departments to develop efficiency targets underpinned by credible delivery plans, scrutinising investment proposals and conducting studies into cross-cutting issues where there is a high-risk of poor VfM. The OVfM will also recommend reforms to the spending framework. The OVfM’s remit has not changed.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the publication HM Treasury: Ministers' Hospitality February 2025, published on 25 April 2025, if she will list the Global Counsel representatives she met on 19 February 2025.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Cabinet Office publish a monthly register of the hospitality that Ministers have received, which can be found on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/register-of-ministers-gifts-and-hospitality
It should be noted, however, that the Cabinet Office state in their guidance that the names of individuals should only be reported where the individuals are representing their own interests, with the exception of Senior Media Figures.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) gifts and (b) hospitality she has (i) accepted and (ii) reimbursed the donor for since 4 July 2024.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Cabinet Office publish a monthly register of Ministers’ gifts and hospitality. These returns, including the Chancellor’s, can be found on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/register-of-ministers-gifts-and-hospitality
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the document entitled HM Treasury: Ministers’ Hospitality - January 2025, published on 27 February 2025, whether the she discussed the foreign influence registration scheme in relation to China with (a) the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and (b) HBSC on 11 and 12 January 2025.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor did not discuss the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme with HSBC or the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade during the lunch and dinner referred to in the HM Treasury: Ministers’ Hospitality - January 2025, published on 27 February 2025.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the document entitled HM Treasury: Ministers' Hospitality - February 2025, published 25 April 2025, whether the Economic Secretary to the Treasury discussed the (a) foreign influence registration scheme and (b) China with TheCityUK on 6 February 2025.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
I attended TheCityUK’s annual dinner on 6 February 2025. Each year, a minister and/or regulator addresses the dinner. Speakers in previous years have included the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Governor of the Bank of England, and numerous Economic Secretaries to the Treasury
I delivered a speech highlighting the important role of the financial services sector in delivering growth and setting out the Government's vision for the sector's future development and continued global leadership
The foreign Influence Registration Scheme or China was not discussed.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff by headcount are currently assigned to the Office for Value for Money; and what is the annual budget for the business unit.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Office for Value for Money is a small, time-limited organisation based in HM Treasury. In addition to its independent Chair, the OVfM comprises a team of c.15 officials, including secondees from the National Audit Office (NAO), the Government Commercial Function, and the Evaluation Task Force. Its budget will be published and outturn data will be made available with HM Treasury’s Annual Report and Accounts.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Office for Value for Money has made an assessment of the use of non-scheduled flights for foreign travel.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Office for Value for Money has an immediate focus on supporting value for money decisions surrounding the spending review, including developing efficiency targets and plans, scrutinising investment proposals and conducting VfM studies. It will also recommend system reforms. Non-scheduled flights for foreign travel do not currently fall within the remit of the OVfM.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 31991 on Public Expenditure, what definition her Department uses of (a) a saving and (b) efficiency for the purpose of the 5% target; and whether cancelling programme spend is classified as a saving.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government uses the Government Efficiency Framework to distinguish between efficiencies and savings.
The cancellation of a programme would classify as a saving.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 32970 on Government Departments: Consultants, if she will list the outturn figures for the spending on consultancy in each of the financial years from 2017-18 to 2022-23.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Outturn figures for consultancy spending from the government’s Online System for Central Accounting and Reporting II (OSCAR II) are contained within datasets that are published as part of the OSCAR Annual Release.
For financial years 2019-20 to 2022-23, these can be accessed via the November 2024 OSCAR annual release here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oscar-ii-publishing-raw-data-from-the-database
For financial year 2018-19, these can be accessed via the November 2023 OSCAR annual release here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oscar-ii-publishing-raw-data-from-the-database
For financial year 2017-18, these can be accessed via the November 2021 OSCAR annual release here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oscar-annual-release-november-2021
In compiling the baseline referenced in Question 32970, the estimate was calculated to exclude consultancy spending in previous years by the Devolved Governments, as they are responsible for their own consultancy budgets. Spending data is taken from the chart of accounts name “EXP – PURCHASE OF GOODS/SERVICES – CONSULTANCY”.